Using Beaver on Multiple Devices

Beaver links your account to your Zotero installation for security and to ensure data consistency. This guide explains how to use Beaver across multiple computers and what to do if you encounter device-related errors.

Requirements

To use Beaver on multiple devices, you need:

  1. A Zotero account: Beaver uses your Zotero account to verify device ownership and to ensure data consistency. Sign in to Zotero on each device via Edit → Settings → Sync.
  2. Zotero Sync enabled: Keep your Zotero libraries synced across all devices. This ensures Beaver works with consistent library data.

How Device Linking Works

When you first set up Beaver, it connects your account to your specific Zotero installation. Each Zotero installation has a unique identifier, and Beaver uses this along with your Zotero account to ensure your data stays secure.

This means:

  • Each Beaver account can only be linked to one Zotero account
  • To use Beaver on a new device, you need to authorize it first
  • Beaver verifies new devices by matching your Zotero account ID
  • If you reinstall Zotero, it creates a new installation ID

Setting Up a New Device

To use Beaver on a second computer:

  1. Sign in to Zotero on both devices with the same Zotero account (Edit → Settings → Sync)
  2. Sync your Zotero library using Zotero's built-in sync feature
  3. Pro users: Enable "Sync with Zotero" in Beaver Settings on your original device
  4. On your new device: Sign into Beaver with the same account
  5. Authorize the device when prompted

Why Zotero Sync matters: Even if your libraries are identical, Beaver relies on Zotero Sync to maintain data consistency across devices. Without it, you may experience issues with search results and item references.

Troubleshooting

"This Zotero instance is not linked to your account"

This error appears when you sign into Beaver from a Zotero installation that isn't linked to your Beaver account.

Common causes:

  • You're on a different computer than where you set up Beaver
  • You are using a different Zotero profile on the same computer
  • You reinstalled Zotero, which created a new installation ID
  • You're signed into the wrong Beaver account

To resolve:

  • Make sure you're signed into the same Zotero account on both devices
  • Pro users: Enable "Sync with Zotero" on your original device first, then try again
  • If you're on the same computer but reinstalled Zotero, contact support at contact@beaverapp.ai to unlink the old installation

"This Zotero instance is already associated with another Beaver account"

This error appears when you try to sign into a different Beaver account than the one originally linked to this Zotero installation.

To resolve:

  • Sign in with the account shown in the error message
  • Each Zotero installation can only be linked to one Beaver account

"New Device Detected" Page

This page appears when you sign into Beaver from a new Zotero installation.

If you see "Authorize Device": Click to add this device to your account. Make sure to keep your Zotero libraries synced across devices.

If you see a message about Zotero account: You need to sign in to your Zotero account on this device first (Edit → Settings → Sync), then restart Beaver.

If you see a message about "Sync with Zotero" (Pro users): You need to enable "Sync with Zotero" in Beaver Settings on your original device first. This ensures your Beaver data syncs properly across devices.